As Riley sat in the comfortable hearth-area of the Red Dragon, surrounded by new friends, the familiar scent of Sidhe drifted down from on high, coming from the second floor landing. A low, thready growl escaped from her throat and her eyes bled from warm caramel to the too-bright amber of her Cat.
?Something wrong, Kitten?? Mindy McKnight asked quietly.
?Maybe.? She stood slowly, fighting the urge to Shift fully and make the fifteen-foot leap in a single bound and tear the Unseelie bastard's face off. Instead, she simply put the beer down on the table and took a single step towards the stairs, her eyes locked onto the Fae.
Daniel could follow her line of sight now, the man leaning over the bannister. He seemed vaguely familiar. Then the memory of that night, the fight with the succubus' minion. The man had been there beforehand, for just a moment, and then vanished.
Almost like they were joined by a cord, the Sidhe took a step towards the stairs. He found his knees were weak. They could barely bear his weight. He knew some how that if he could just explain to Riley what the Mistress had done. It would all be alright.
But it would never be alright. Lani had given her the justifications behind her actions last night and they'd fallen on deaf ears. There was no excuse for Eamon to be there. And she'd told Lani that if she saw any of her pets again, she'd send them home in small, bite-sized pieces. She took another step towards the stairs, that growl rumbling forth again.
Eamon heard the growl and froze. It sent a chill up his back. He was weak and wasn't likely to survive an encounter with the enraged cat. He could only hope to reason with her somehow.
Daniel, too, rose and watched, muscles tense. He didn't know if this was going to come to blows, but he was ready to back her up if needed.
Riley took another step and then she was running, sprinting for the stairs at very close to her top speed. Along the way, fingernails became deadly claws and teeth elongated into skull-piercing fangs. He stumbled backwards. His back flattening against the wall next to the door to his room. He sank down to the ground. Curling up into a ball and covering his head with his hand. He tried summoning his glamour and threw a weak illusion at her.
?Hell.? The word popped out as Riley took off and partially shifted. Daniel ran for the stairs, too, not ready to intervene yet, but wanting to keep close, just in case.
Eamon's body shifted, suddenly became translucent as if it were a mirage on a hot, desert road, and disappeared. She paused half-way up the stairs and closed her eyes, nostrils flaring. Yep, he was still there. She prowled up the rest of the stairs, eyes still closed, the scent of the Fae still strong in her nose.
The Sidhe took advantage of her pause to move as silently as she to a different more defensible position. He noticed another coming to behind her and wondered what this one's stake was.
?Come out, come out, wherever you are.? She was still creeping up the stairs, eyes closed, letting the Fae's scent guide her. ?Where is your bravado now, Sidhe? Are you going to hide behind your mistress's skirts again? Are you going to let the Sierene clean up this mess, too??
"She did it to save you, Riley. There was no other way. You have to realize that." He prepared another illusion, this time pulling from the very air itself. He cloaked his scent and then multiplied it, filling the entire landing with it.
?Something wrong, Kitten?? Mindy McKnight asked quietly.
?Maybe.? She stood slowly, fighting the urge to Shift fully and make the fifteen-foot leap in a single bound and tear the Unseelie bastard's face off. Instead, she simply put the beer down on the table and took a single step towards the stairs, her eyes locked onto the Fae.
Daniel could follow her line of sight now, the man leaning over the bannister. He seemed vaguely familiar. Then the memory of that night, the fight with the succubus' minion. The man had been there beforehand, for just a moment, and then vanished.
Almost like they were joined by a cord, the Sidhe took a step towards the stairs. He found his knees were weak. They could barely bear his weight. He knew some how that if he could just explain to Riley what the Mistress had done. It would all be alright.
But it would never be alright. Lani had given her the justifications behind her actions last night and they'd fallen on deaf ears. There was no excuse for Eamon to be there. And she'd told Lani that if she saw any of her pets again, she'd send them home in small, bite-sized pieces. She took another step towards the stairs, that growl rumbling forth again.
Eamon heard the growl and froze. It sent a chill up his back. He was weak and wasn't likely to survive an encounter with the enraged cat. He could only hope to reason with her somehow.
Daniel, too, rose and watched, muscles tense. He didn't know if this was going to come to blows, but he was ready to back her up if needed.
Riley took another step and then she was running, sprinting for the stairs at very close to her top speed. Along the way, fingernails became deadly claws and teeth elongated into skull-piercing fangs. He stumbled backwards. His back flattening against the wall next to the door to his room. He sank down to the ground. Curling up into a ball and covering his head with his hand. He tried summoning his glamour and threw a weak illusion at her.
?Hell.? The word popped out as Riley took off and partially shifted. Daniel ran for the stairs, too, not ready to intervene yet, but wanting to keep close, just in case.
Eamon's body shifted, suddenly became translucent as if it were a mirage on a hot, desert road, and disappeared. She paused half-way up the stairs and closed her eyes, nostrils flaring. Yep, he was still there. She prowled up the rest of the stairs, eyes still closed, the scent of the Fae still strong in her nose.
The Sidhe took advantage of her pause to move as silently as she to a different more defensible position. He noticed another coming to behind her and wondered what this one's stake was.
?Come out, come out, wherever you are.? She was still creeping up the stairs, eyes closed, letting the Fae's scent guide her. ?Where is your bravado now, Sidhe? Are you going to hide behind your mistress's skirts again? Are you going to let the Sierene clean up this mess, too??
"She did it to save you, Riley. There was no other way. You have to realize that." He prepared another illusion, this time pulling from the very air itself. He cloaked his scent and then multiplied it, filling the entire landing with it.